Center reintroduces AFSPA in six ‘volatile’ Manipur areas | India News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: The Center on Thursday restored the ‘disturbed area’ status of six police stations in Manipur’s five districts – Imphal West, Imphal East, Jiribam, Kangpokpi and Bishnupur – under the controversial Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958, amid the recent outbreak of ethnic conflict in these areas.
The reasons given were the continued “volatile situation” and “ongoing ethnic violence” in the state and “occasional gun battles… with several cases of active participation of insurgent groups in heinous acts of violence”.
First expansion of area under Afspa during Modi’s tenure
The move to withdraw Afspa from Sekmai and Lamsang in Imphal West district; Lamlai in Imphal East district; Jiribam in Jiribam District; Leimakhong in Kangpokpi District; and Moirang in Bishnupur district is unusual in many ways.
First, this is the first time since the Modi government came to power in 2014 that the area under Afspa has been expanded within a state; In fact, the area in the northeast under Afspa has shrunk remarkably over the past decade. Secondly, instead of the Manipur government, which has been regularly issuing Afspa extension orders for the state, this time Center has chosen to revisit the state government’s notification.
A Home Ministry official explained that Afspa grants simultaneous powers to the Center and the state government to do this; and it helps that the BJP is in power at both levels. Interestingly, all the areas where Afspa has been returned are in the valley, which is dominated by Meiteis. The move to reinstate Afspa under the jurisdiction of six PS is also unusual as it falls halfway through the validity period of the last notification, which was in effect from October 1, 2024 to March 30, 2025. An officer said a detailed assessment of its applicability of Afspa in Manipur Despite recurring ethnic violence since May last year, which has claimed about 230 lives so far, this violence has not been committed before due to the security forces’ preoccupation with restoring peace.
“But with the ethnic violence continuing, there was no option but to bring back the Afspa in areas prone to violence, to facilitate coordinated operations by the security forces, including the military, and to target armed miscreants operating in ‘fringe areas ‘ to keep in check.” an officer told TOI.